Section 84: Manual handling operations

84. Manual handling operations (1) Every employer shall— (a) so far as is reasonably practicable, avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of bodily injury; (b) where it is not reasonably practicable to avoid the need for his employees to undertake any manual handling operations at work which involve a risk of bodily injury— (i) take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of bodily injury to those employees arising out of their undertaking any such manual handling operations to the lowest level reasonably practicable; (ii) take appropriate steps to provide any of those employees who are undertaking such manual handling operations with general indications and precise information on the weight and nature of each load to be handled; and (iii) provide sufficient training in the safe techniques or methods of manual lifting and handling to any employee who is required in the normal course of his work regularly to lift, carry or move loads exceeding 18 kilograms for any employee. (2) In complying with subsection (1) (b) (i) above, the employer shall take such measures as may be practicable in relation to the task, the load, the working environment and individual capability of an employee. (3) In this section— “load” includes any person or animal; “manual handling operations” means any transporting or supporting of a load, including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof by hand or by bodily force.